On behalf of the Government of the Republic, the National Research Awards Committee opens the call for the candidates for the 2026 Estonian National Research Awards.
National Research Awards are granted to Estonian researchers and research teams for outstanding results in research and development.
The proposals should be submitted electronically in the Academy of Sciences Competitions e-environment by 10 December 2025.
AWARD CATEGORIES
1. Lifetime achievement award for long-term excellence in research and development (up to one award, 65 000 €).
2. Annual awards to highlight the best research or research cycles completed and published within the last four years (2022–2025, up to 8 awards, á 20 000 €) in the following fields:
1) Natural Sciences
2) Engineering and technology
3) Medical and health sciences
4) Agricultural and veterinary sciences
5) Social Sciences
6) Humanities and the arts
3. Award for a Scientific Discovery impacting the paradigm and world view of the respective scientific field or pioneering a new field of science, or an invention or research and development based on a scientific discovery that has led to an innovative product with a significant socio-economic impact (up to 1 award, 50 000 €).
Candidates for the award can be nominated by the:
- Academic councils of the research and development institutions, universities and evaluated universities of applied sciences
- Members of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
- Council of Estonian Young Academy,
- Estonian Employers’ Confederation, Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Estonian Service Industry Association.
When nominating the research teams the scientific contribution of all members of the team must be clearly determined in the proposal.
Researchers and research teams who have previously been granted the annual award can be re-nominated for the annual award not before than ten years after the award was given.
Parts of the research cycle that has received the annual award can not be re-used as part of research cycles to be nominated for the annual award in subsequent years.
Additional information: https://www.akadeemia.ee/en/national-research-awards/
Documents (in Estonian):
Mandate of the National Research Awards Committee
Regulation of the Estonian National Research Awards
Read also the recently published online publication (in Estonian) „Eesti Vabariigi teaduspreemiad 2025“ (Estonian State Research Awards 2025), that highlights the research that was awarded this year.